Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $931 per month in Bloemfontein vs $1,169 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Bloemfontein vs $1,765 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,943 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,361 in Pretoria, rent included.

Bloemfontein is about 20% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Bloemfontein and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Bloemfontein 30% lower, Pretoria 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.01 R 181

$8.57 R 141

28.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.94 R 625

$34.08 R 561

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 R 113

$4.69 R 77.1

45.84%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R 28.71

$2.13 R 35.01

-18.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.05

$1.06 R 17.40

26.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.92

$0.88 R 14.50

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R 38.37

$2.29 R 37.67

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R 37.87

$2.72 R 44.86

-15.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R 15.55

$1.20 R 19.82

-21.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.21

$1.07 R 17.53

-8.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 R 33.12

$1.63 R 26.87

23.31%

Eggs

$2.00 R 32.86

$2.40 R 39.51

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 R 116

$7.49 R 123

-6.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 R 75.0

$4.58 R 75.5

-0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.02 R 116

$6.63 R 109

5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.85

$1.61 R 26.52

1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.03

$1.58 R 26.07

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.28

$1.59 R 26.19

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 R 22.18

$1.69 R 27.75

-20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 R 13.93

$1.36 R 22.40

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.42

$1.22 R 20.09

41.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 R 17.60

$1.13 R 18.56

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.81

$1.11 R 18.28

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 R 42.45

$2.88 R 47.35

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 R 78.8

$5.03 R 82.9

-4.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.01

$1.55 R 25.57

-1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.31

$1.87 R 30.77

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 R 12.82

$3.27 R 53.8

-76.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 R 1,070

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.37 R 22.48

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 R 10.20

$1.38 R 22.75

-55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 R 65.0

$3.02 R 49.67

30.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.14

$1.32 R 21.70

-7.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.2K R 365.2K

$18.9K R 312.0K

17.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.1K R 397.1K

$26.5K R 436.7K

-9.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$75.6 R 1,245

$127 R 2,084

-40.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.23 R 498

$37.37 R 615

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.87 R 590

$38.46 R 633

-6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.28 R 482

$31.65 R 521

-7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.30 R 170

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 R 94.0

$7.55 R 124

-24.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$129 R 2,116

$195 R 3,207

-34.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,359 R 71.8K

$4,269 R 70.3K

2.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 R 910

$50.8 R 837

8.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.49 R 518

$32.73 R 539

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 R 2,139

$87.4 R 1,438

48.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 R 1,520

$87.1 R 1,434

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 R 4,762

$399 R 6,562

-27.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 R 4,816

$391 R 6,432

-25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 R 7,943

$733 R 12.1K

-34.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 R 8,414

$753 R 12.4K

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$479 R 7,893

$855 R 14.1K

-43.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$636 R 10.5K

$688 R 11.3K

-7.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,272 R 20.9K

$1,418 R 23.3K

-10.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

11.69

-1.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bloemfontein: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Bloemfontein versus $399 in Pretoria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Bloemfontein versus $34.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Bloemfontein vs $182 in Pretoria – so Bloemfontein wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bloemfontein vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 26% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Bloemfontein and $1,753 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Bloemfontein and $34.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Pretoria at $1,169. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.